Alertacall sponsors webinar exploring the opportunities that Digital Switchover offers housing providers.

Alertacall is delighted to be working with Inside Housing to sponsor the webinar What does the digital switchover in 2025 mean for the housing sector? that will offer guidance on making the switch to digital technology in the housing sector amid the pending digital switchover.

Alertacall CEO and founder James Batchelor will discuss the surprising opportunity that the 2025 Digital Switchover presents in terms of creating safer and more digitally connected homes for residents in social housing across the United Kingdom. Instead of viewing the change as a costly upgrade project, it presents providers with the chance to truly accelerate digital engagement, an opportunity to reimagine how services are delivered, and, with the right approach, future-proof properties for further innovation in service delivery.     

The online seminar will take place live on Thursday 31st March. Chaired by the editor of Inside Housing Martin Hilditch, James will be joined on the panel by other industry leaders.

The move from traditional analogue signals has already begun, with Alertacall currently working with over fifty housing providers who have successfully implemented digital services like the Alertacall touchscreen, video door entry, the OKEachDay for Housing system, and the repairs reporting application.

The government has set a target that in three years traditional analogue telephone (or public switch telephone network) lines will no longer exist.  Instead, all connections will switch to digital services and plug into broadband networks (or voice over internet protocol).

What does the switch to digital mean for social housing landlords?

Ofcom says that all phone providers must offer an internet connection for a minimum of the phone only use, however at present 11% of the population don’t have an internet connection at home. These households are four times more likely to come from low-income households and eight times more likely to be over 65 years of age. This suggests a risk to the 1.7 million vulnerable residents who rely on telecare to support their independence and safety – as 85% of those living in sheltered housing in the UK have a landline.

In addition, recent research suggests that 42% of over 75-year-olds are digitally excluded. While the pandemic has forced this figure to increase by 24%, there is still a digital divide in all poorer households who do not have access to broadband or devices. In education terms, more than 524,000 (or 23.4%) of five to 15-year-olds did not have a useable device last year and for many people, it is why they didn’t engage with COVID-19 testing. A significant portion will be living in social housing and landlords must have a digital strategy in place to support residents.

Inside Housing’s webinar, sponsored by Alertacall, will evaluate what the switchover involves, its issues and opportunities, and asks:

• What funding is available for organisations to apply for?
• What impact might the switchover have on safety, both building safety such as fire alarms and door entry systems, and individual alarms for those living in supported living homes?
• How might this impact the digital divide and how can landlords help older residents, living in supported living or poverty to overcome this?

Click here to sign up for the free webinar.

Although the webinar will take place to live, the recording of the event will be available post-event on the Inside Housing website. We will ensure to share this on our social channels when made available.